Arsene Wenger proposes World-Cup be held every two years

Former Arsenal manager and FIFA’s head of global development, Arsene Wenger has created discussions in many quarters by suggesting the World Cup should be played more often. The tournament is currently held every four years, with the next edition set for Qatar in 2022. Wenger believes the Worldcup should be staged every two years as opposed to the four years.

“There are real dangers associated with this plan. The dilution of the value of the No.1 world football event, whose quadrennial occurrence gives it a mystique that generations of fans have grown up with,” European football’s governing body said.

UEFA urged FIFA to stop “promotional campaigns” for the scheme before they have consulted the relevant stakeholders.

Wenger, who failed to win a European trophy with Arsenal after more than two decades in charge, said: “I’m confident, but I do not know the forces who are for or against. I just make that proposal because I think it’s good for the game. “After the proposal for the World Cup, every two years sometimes (there is an) emotional response.

“I’m not surprised. Many people who were completely against it changed their minds after having seen my proposal. Some people have judged only based on every two years of World Cup and it was more emotional because ‘we’ve all grown up in that cycle, and I can understand that.

“But many responses who were negative came out because they had not completely seen the whole concept. This concept, of course, every two years a World Cup makes only sense if you see the whole proposal and if you regroup the qualifiers.”